Cot fastener



D. H. COX

COT FASTENER May l5, 1945 Q. hm,

Filed June 20', 1942 Patented May 15, 1945l f UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE DonaldrRvCox, Freeport, Ill., assigner to Henney Motor Company, Freeport, 1111;, a corporation of Delaware Application June 2l), 1942,Serial No. 447,883

7 Claims. (Cl. 296419.)

This invention-relates to a new and improved cot fastener vfor use in ambulances and the like.

The principal object of my invention is t provide an improved trigger type cot fastener,- in which the locking hook is a part of a load and fire mechanism andV is arranged to be actuated by the cotto loaded position and released under manual control, the load and fire mechanism inthe release of the cot causing the cot to be moved clearof the fastener to facilitate quick removal fromthe ambulance.

A salient feature of this cot fastener consists in the provision of a cooperatinglocking hook and trigger-like latch, the locking hook being moved against the resistance of a ,relatively strong spring in the locking of the cot in place and the latch being arranged to hold the hook in such position until vthe time of release when the cot is instantly ejected, the latch having a flexible Wire connected therewith for remote control at a point conveniently located with respect to the rear door opening. The latch and its control Wire, in accordance with the invention, are also urged in one direction normally under the action of a relatively weak spring toward locking engagement'with the hook soas to be easily released manually,

- The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in Which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a cot fastener made in accordance with my invention, illustrated on a Wall with a cot in position ready for fastening;

Fig. 2 is a side view of thecot fastener by itself; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section Fig. 2 on a, larger scale. Y

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring rst to Figs. 1 and 2,..the reference numeral 5 designates the cot fastener generally, mounted on the side Wall .B of an ambulance or other vehicle in which cots like that shown in horizontal section at 'I are to be carried. These cots are usually equipped with wheels so that they may be rolled on .the oor 8 into and out of lthe ambulance through the rear door opening 9. The front and rear verticalcorner posts Il] and II on the cot are used to advantage in fastening the cot, the cot fastener 5 having a stationary front hook I2 to receive the front post I0 and there being a pivoted rear hook I3 to receive the. rear post II.- I am aware that other fasteners have been provided heretofore having a xed front hook vand a movable rear hook for application to the front and rearl corner posts of on the line 3-3 of whereasQit will soon appear, that in the cot fasa cot, but in most 'instances'the movable hook was adapted simply' to lock and release the cot,

tener of my invention the hook or dog I3 forms a part of a'load and re mechanism, the "loading operation occurring in the fastening of the cot and the firing operation occurringy inY the'subsequent manual release of the cot, so that the cot is moved clear of the cot fastener and can be removed quickly from the'ambulance.- In that Way lossgof time is avoided and there is no room for confusionin regard to how the cot may be disconnected from the cot fastener. It will also soon appear that the load and nre mechanism facilitates the fastening of the cot, due to the fact that-the operator can tell from the clicking sound when the trigger-like latch for holding the hook I3 has snapped into place. In that way there can be no uncertainty as to Whether the cot is or is not fastened;

In accordance with my invention, the hook or dog I3 is generally V-shapedl and pivoted at I4 intermediate the ends of one nger ofV in the housing I5, and has a coiled compression spring I6 acting between a wall of the housing and the end' 'of the pivoted nger to urge the hook normally in a clockwise direction to the released position, indicated in Fig.1. In that position the apex portion of the V is limited by engagement with a stop pinv I1. The hook is adapted to be moved against the action of the springv I6 by engagement of .the rear postV I I with the pivoted nger portion I8, so as to move the other finger portion I9 of the hook into position holding the cot locked between the two hooks I2 and I3 until such time as the trigger-like latch 20 is pulled. The latch 20 is Apivoted inthe housing I5 at 2| andl has a notch 22 therein to receive the ytooth 23gdened bythe apex portion of the V-shaped hook I3. A coiled tensionspring connected at oneend to apn 25 inthe housing i5 and at its other end to an eyelet `26 on the free end of the latch tends norm-ally to Vurge the latch toward locking engagement with the hook I3, movement in` that direction beinglimited by engagement with the tooth 23 in the released positionof thehook@ Aflexible wire 21 is connectedy tojthe latchiZILras indicated at 28, and extends rearwardly from the housing I5 through a tube 29 that extends to' a point near the rear door opening, a knob 30 being fastened'on the rear end of the. wire forconvenience in pulling the latch. "'Anothentube 3I1 extends forwardlyfrom therhousing 15 Yandjcarries the'hook I2 on its frontend; \A-bracket32"formed as an integral to be fastened, said locking member being movable with said cot part against spring action to locking position wherein the cot part is disposed between the two fingers, a spring pressed latch operable by a relatively weak spring means and pivotally mounted in said housing having a notch provided therein for locking engagement with the tooth on the aforesaid member to hold thefsame in locked position, and manually operable means for releasing said latch.

5. Cot fastening means for vehicles, comprising a horizontal hook mounted on a support for releasable engagement with an upright part of a cot disposed alongside said support, another hook pivotally mounted on said support in spaced relation to the rst hook for locking engagement releasably with another. upright part of said cot in longitudinally spaced relation 'to the rst upright part, a relatively strong spring means normally urging the pivoted hook to one extreme position in released relation to the last mentioned upright part of said cot whereby to eject the cot from locked position instantly upon release of the pivoted hook, said pivoted hook being movable to locked position in locking engagement with said upright part against the action of said spring means by engagement therewith of said upright part, said hook having a locking portion, a. latch pivotally mounted adjacent said hook having a notch therein to receive said locking portion for releasably locking said hook in the latter position, said latch also having a cam surface thereon extending from the notch for slidable engagement thereon of the locking portion of said hook in its movement toward engagement in the notch, a relatively weak spring means urging the latch toward locking engagement with said hook, and manually operable means for releasing said latch.

6. In a cot fastening mechanism, the combination of a support, a generally V-shaped hook member pivoted on said support by one nger of the V intermediate the ends of said nger, a relatively strong compression spring seated at one end on said support and bearing at its other end against the outer end of the pivoted ringer to swing the hook toward an open position for 4reception of a portion of the cot to be fastened whereby to eject the cot from locked position instantly upon release of the pivoted hook member, a latch pivotally mounted at one end on the support adjacent the apex portion of the V- -shaped hook and having a notch provided therein adjacent its pivoted end for releasable locking engagement therein of the apex portion of the V-shaped hook, said V-shaped hook when locked by the latch being disposed so as to retain the adjacent portion of the cot engaged between the fingers of the V-shaped hook, a relatively weak tension spring secured at one end to the support and at its other end to the free end of said latch tending normally to urge the latch toward the apex lportion of the V-shaped hook, and manually operable means for retractng said latch.

7. A cot fastening-mechanism as set forth in claim 6, wherein the latch has a cam surface provided thereon on that side toward the apex portion of the V-shaped hook and extending away from the notch and arranged to be slidably engaged by the apex portion of the V-shaped hook in its movement toward engagement in the .i notch.

DONALD I-I. 'COX.' 

